On 26 February, 2014, Dr. Christina Yan Zhang, China Director, QS Intelligence Unit together with Simona Bizzozero, Head of Public Relations was invited by the strategic partners of QS- the Guardian to participate in one of its most important annual event on higher education policy in the UK- The Annual Guardian University Forum.
This event was organised by Guardian Education and The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), an independent body and registered charity, who advises government on degree awarding powers and the right to be called a university.
This year’s theme is focused on the future of higher education in the UK, Fostering student innovation and entrepreneurship, Exporting educational excellence,Immigration and higher education. A wide range of high profile speakers shared their thoughts about the future of UK’ universities at this one day conference, including:
Professor Madeleine Atkins, chief executive, Higher Education Funding Council for England
Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE DL, founder and chairman, Cobra Beer
Dr Scott Blinder, director, The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford
Peter Brewin MEng, founder, Concrete Canvas
Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP, shadow minister for higher education
Carolyn Campbell, head of international affairs, QAA
Nicola Dandridge, chief executive, Universities UK
Hushpreet Dhaliwal, chief executive, NACUE
Gavin Ellison, director, public sector, YouGov
Dawn Foster, journalist
Anne Marie Graham, head of programme, outward student mobility, UK Higher Education International Unit
Professor David Greenaway, vice-chancellor, University of Nottingham
Dr Pericles Lewis, president, Yale-NUS College
Sue Littlemore, education journalist
Ian Neale, associate director, public sector, YouGov
Sir John O’Reilly, director general knowledge & innovation, BIS
Toni Pearce, national president, National Union of Students
Professor Nigel Seaton, principal and vice-chancellor, Abertay University
Daniel Stevens, international students officer, National Union of Students
Dr David Stevens, head of international office, UCL
Dr Kevin Van-Cauter, higher education adviser, British Council
Professor Sir David Watson, principal, Green Templeton College, University of Oxford
Professor Steve West, chair, University Alliance
Dr. Christina Yan Zhang, China Director, QS Intelligence Unit asked a question to Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP, shadow minister for higher education in front of 300 UK universities leaders after he gave a speech on the road to 2015 and how policy on universities is likely to be affected by the next election and was well thought by of Liam Byrne MP and the delegates at the forum. Christina also met other UK education leaders who she has been working closely with to promote the international strategy as her previous role of the International Students Officer of the National Union of Students UK.
(Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP, shadow minister for higher education gave a speech on the road to 2015 and how policy on universities is likely to be affected by the next election )
(Guardian Journalist James Turner took a photo of Dr. Christina Yan Zhang, China Director, QS Intelligence Unit when she asked a question at the forum to Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP, shadow minister for higher education after he gave a speech on the future UK Higher Education Policies after UK’s General Election)
(Dr. Christina Yan Zhang, China Director, QS Intelligence Unit met old friend Carolyn Campbell, Director (International) of the UK Quality Assurance Agency, who she has worked closely with on two committees (Quality Assurance Agency’s Student Sounding Board andAdvisory Group on International students the UK Guidance for UK Higher Education Institutions ) in Christina’s previous role as the National Union of Students UK’s International Students Officer 2010-2012 )
(Dr. Christina Yan Zhang, China Director, QS Intelligence Unit met Professor Steven George West, the vice-chancellor of the University of the West of England and the current Chairman of the University Alliance, and had a discussion about Christina’s previous experience being invited to speak at University of West of England at the induction of new international students in 2011 in Christina’s previous role as the National Union of Students UK’s International Students Officer 2010-2012)
((Dr. Christina Yan Zhang, China Director, QS Intelligence Unit met Professor David Greenaway, vice-chancellor, University of Nottingham again. Christina asked David a question at the forum on the opportunities to allow UK students to have more diverse international experience through sending them to overseas campus in different countries.
David and Christina previously met on 2ND FEBRUARY 2012 at “UK universities in a global Higher Education market, at SIXTY ONE WHITEHALL, LONDON, organised by Westminster Higher Education Forum. Both Christina and David were speakers invited that day. David previously talked about the successful story about Nottingham University overseas campus, when Christina asked David what was the possibility of educating UK students at Nottingham’s overseas campus with cheaper tuition fee than 9000 pound. David said that it was possible and David Willetts, UK’s Universities Minister also asked him the same question and his answer was it costed only about 6000 pound to educated a UK student to study at their overseas campus in China or Malaysia.)
